Ever since he entered the international scene in December, the onus of leading India's bowling has fallen on his slender shoulders.

Pune, April 10 -- Behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar's calm appearance, there is a sportsman eager to excel. As the conversation began, Kumar leaned forward and explained his enthusiasm at making the position of India's pace spearhead his own.

Ever since he entered the international scene in December, the onus of leading India's bowling has fallen on his slender shoulders. And with Zaheer Khan going out of the selectors' one-day plans after being excluded from the Champions Trophy probables list, Kumar's role has only gained weight.

Kumar has made an impression at home thanks to his ability to swing the ball as Umesh Yadav recovered from a back injury and Ishant Sharma, in his own words, looked to play a defensive role due to his limited ability to find movement with the new ball.

Building strength

The Uttar Pradesh seamer lacks sheer pace but is confident he can succeed bowling abroad. Kumar is now focused on building his strength in the gym to be able to bowl faster. "I'm absolutely ready to spearhead the bowling in all formats for the country. Every debut of mine went off fine. I will keep doing things the right way and hopefully will do well in the future as well," the Pune Warriors India seamer told HT.

Each player reacts differently to added expectations, and the 23-year-old thrives under pressure. "Personally, responsibility allows me to perform better. I'm very happy because we won the series against Australia, beat them 4-0, which is an achievement and a record."

The medium pacer said he had got valuable tips from his experienced team mates. "All the seniors I have played with have been helpful. Ishant has played a lot in Indian conditions, so in my first series he was of great help. He told me where to bowl according to the conditions."

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.

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